- Strengths-based approach
- Practical coping skills
- Grief and loss focus
About Suzanne
Suzanne Martinez is a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) practicing in Illinois with 25 years of experience. She works with people facing stress, anxiety, grief, relationship struggles, and other life changes. Her style is warm and practical, aimed at helping people find clearer direction and more workable routines.
She uses a strengths-based approach that starts with what is working. Sessions focus on small, doable changes that build toward larger goals. Suzanne helps people talk through stuck patterns in relationships, cope with loss, and manage symptoms like low mood or overwhelming worry.
Suzanne draws on several therapy approaches to meet different needs. She blends Acceptance and Commitment Therapy with cognitive behavioral techniques and emotionally-focused ideas to help clients notice thoughts, shift behavior, and repair connection. Her work also brings in existential questions when people need meaning or direction during major life transitions.
Her background includes two decades of clinical work and teaching, plus writing about personal well-being and psychological growth. She has provided counseling in private practice and at a university counseling center, and she is an Illinois Supreme Court Approved Mediator for Judicial Circuit Courts.
People come to Suzanne for help with grief, caregiver stress, addiction concerns, parenting strain, compassion fatigue, and issues related to adoption or blended families. She offers practical tools and clear steps so clients can start making changes between sessions.
She uses a strengths-based approach that starts with what is working. Sessions focus on small, doable changes that build toward larger goals. Suzanne helps people talk through stuck patterns in relationships, cope with loss, and manage symptoms like low mood or overwhelming worry.
Suzanne draws on several therapy approaches to meet different needs. She blends Acceptance and Commitment Therapy with cognitive behavioral techniques and emotionally-focused ideas to help clients notice thoughts, shift behavior, and repair connection. Her work also brings in existential questions when people need meaning or direction during major life transitions.
Her background includes two decades of clinical work and teaching, plus writing about personal well-being and psychological growth. She has provided counseling in private practice and at a university counseling center, and she is an Illinois Supreme Court Approved Mediator for Judicial Circuit Courts.
People come to Suzanne for help with grief, caregiver stress, addiction concerns, parenting strain, compassion fatigue, and issues related to adoption or blended families. She offers practical tools and clear steps so clients can start making changes between sessions.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
AddictionsLGBTFamily conflictsTrauma and abuseGriefIntimacy-related issuesEating disordersSleeping disordersParenting issuesAnger managementBipolar disorderDepressionCoping with life changesCompassion fatigueADHD
Additional focus areas
Adoption and foster careAttachment issuesBlended family issuesCaregiver issues and stressCodependencyCommitment issuesCommunication problemsCoping with natural or human-caused disasterDivorce and separationEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFatherhood issuesFirst responder issuesForgivenessGuilt and shameHospice and end-of-life counselingImmigration issuesInfidelityIsolation / lonelinessLife purposeMen's issuesMidlife crisisVeteran and Armed Forces IssuesMulticultural concernsPanic disorder and panic attacksPolyamory / non-monogamous relationshipsPregnancy and childbirthPrejudice and discriminationSelf-loveSocial anxiety and phobiaWomen's issuesWorkplace issuesYoung adult issues
Therapeutic approaches
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)Client-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)Existential TherapyEye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)Gottman MethodHypnotherapyMindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingNarrative TherapySolution-Focused TherapyInternal Family Systems
Experience
25+ years
Credentials
Illinois
Languages
English
Therapeutic approaches and online options
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice unhelpful thoughts and commit to actions that match their values. It can be useful for anxiety, depression, grief, and coping with life changes by focusing on meaningful goals rather than only symptom reduction.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying thought and behavior patterns that keep problems going and teaching practical skills to change them. It often helps with worry, sleep or eating issues, and mood concerns by using experiments and homework to build new habits.
Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT) centers on improving emotional connection and communication. It can help people who are struggling with intimacy-related issues, relationship conflict, and attachment concerns by guiding clearer expression and responsive listening.
Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with the client about goals, preferences, and what has or hasn’t helped in the past. Together they will try strategies and adjust the plan based on what begins to work.
If you are considering online sessions, confirm the current session options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy schedule, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when needed. It can also accommodate different communication preferences, such as focusing on audio-only or video conversations depending on what feels most manageable.
Frequently asked questions
What concerns can Suzanne help with?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, grief, relationship and intimacy-related issues, addiction, caregiver stress, ADHD, and many other life concerns listed on her profile.
What is her therapeutic style like?
Her style is strengths-based and practical. She helps people set small goals, practice new skills, and clarify values to guide change.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has 25 years of clinical experience providing counseling, teaching, and writing on personal well-being and psychological growth.
What credential does she hold and where does she practice?
She is a licensed marriage and family therapist, LMFT, licensed in Illinois and practices in that state.
In which languages are sessions offered?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people outside the United States work with her?
She does not accept international clients at this time.
How are fees and payment arranged?
Costs vary with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
What should I do to begin working together?
Click the Start Therapy button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to the therapist's availability.